Read the passage

James 1:5

World English Bible

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

In the King James Version

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

King James Version (Public Domain)

What surrounds this passage

James writes to people facing trials and invites them to seek wisdom with honesty and perseverance.

The verses on either side

James 1:2-8, World English Bible

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.
For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

A question to sit with

What is the clearest question you can bring to God right now?

Why this one, and not these

3 passages were considered for this and turned down, each for a reason written at the time.

James 1:6-8: These are the next three verses, and they are deliberately not part of what is delivered. They compare the one who doubts to a wave driven by the wind, and call him double-minded and unstable. Arriving one line after an invitation to ask, to somebody who has just admitted to doubting, that reads as a rebuke. Verse 5 stands on its own for that reason.
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Lean not on your own understanding" can be heard as telling somebody who is thinking hard to stop thinking, which is the opposite of what this record intends.
Mark 9:24: "I believe; help my unbelief" is honest and close to the disclosure, and is held as a candidate for a future record rather than rejected on merit. It needs its narrative to land, which this format does not give it.

Written about this passage

Baptist vs Methodist: Where Each Came From, What You Will Notice on a Visit, and James 1:5 While You Decide
Invited to a Baptist or Methodist church, wedding or funeral? Where each began, what a Sunday looks like, and James 1:5 for asking questions without hurry.
Bible Verses for Doubting God: I Believe, Help My Unbelief
Doubting God? Mark 9:24 and a father's cry, James 1:5 on asking without reproach, people in Scripture who questioned God, and help if the checking won't stop.
Bible Verses for Trials: Count It All Joy, the Fiery Trial, and Asking for Wisdom
In a long, hard season and handed a verse about joy? James 1:5 in its setting, 1 Peter on grief, and the KJV wording.
Catholic vs Protestant: How Each Describes Itself, Where They Meet, Where They Differ, and James 1:5 for the Question
Invited to a Mass or a Protestant service, or marrying across the two? Each tradition in its own words, and James 1:5 for asking.
How to Find a Church That Fits You: What to Look For, What to Ask, and James 1:5 When You Are Not Sure
Want somewhere to go on Sunday? Questions to ask, the main kinds of church in their own words, and James 1:5 for when you are not sure.
How to Read the Bible for Beginners: Where to Start, Which Translation, the Hard Parts, and James 1:5 for the Questions
Where to start, which translation to pick, free audio and tools, the hard parts in their settings, and James 1:5 as a verse for the questions you bring.
Is Marco a Biblical Name? What It Means, the Mark It Comes From, and James 1:5 for a Question You Are Carrying
Is Marco in the Bible? Mark is, and the person behind it is John Mark. What the name means, his story, and James 1:5 for a question.
Is Omar a Biblical Name? Omar in Genesis, the Arabic Name Umar, and James 1:5 for a Plain Question
Omar is a minor figure in Genesis and also a spelling of the Arabic name Umar. What each name means, how it is said, and James 1:5 for an honest question.
Should Christians Read the Book of Enoch? What It Is, Why Jude Quotes It, Which Churches Count It as Scripture, Where to Read It, and James 1:5 for Asking
Curious about the Book of Enoch, or warned off it? What it is, why Jude quotes it, which churches count it as Scripture, where to read it, and James 1:5 for asking.
What Does the Bible Say About Doubt? Peter, John in Prison, and the Words for Doubting
James 1:5 on asking God without reproach, Peter on the water, John the Baptist's question from prison, the Greek words for doubt, and what churches teach.
What Is a Nondenominational Church? What the Word Means, What Named Churches Say They Believe, What to Ask, and James 1:5
Seen nondenominational on a sign or an invitation? What the word means, what named churches say about themselves, and questions any visitor can ask.
What Is Speaking in Tongues? What the Bible Records, What Churches Teach, What Researchers Have Measured, and James 1:5
Heard a room praying in sounds you could not follow? What speaking in tongues is, what the Bible records, how churches describe it, and a verse to start with.

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